Old School Legacy #3 - Bill Pearl - A new series of articles about the stars of the golden era of bodybuilding, including proven training routines.

Another story from the Golden Era of bodybuilding is here. Last time you read about Mike Mentzer (link HERE).

He was a promoter of High Intensity training, which he subsequently invented Heavy Duty training from due to his obsession for stimulating his body as much as possible. This took even less time, but the intensity was so insane that the body needed up to a week to recover!

Now it's easy to focus on the man that both Mike and his brother Ray admired, even sending him pictures of their first bodybuilding poses from their childhood bedroom. Who is behind the man Mike and Ray looked up to? Who made an indelible mark on bodybuilding history? Who won Mr. Universe 1971 at the age of forty-one and after a four-year retirement from competing?

It is none other than a legend who has made a significant impact on the development of bodybuilding - BILLA PEARLA (born 1930).

Bill has become an inspiration for generations to come, mainly because of his personality, but also for his views on training, diet and attitude towards his body.

At the age of ten, he wanted to be on the cover of Strenght and Health magazine, which he eventually succeeded thanks to his determination and commitment. When he was a teenager, he worked all summer to get his own wasp, which he had to wait two years for due to the ongoing World War II. Who among us can boast such a strong will to achieve their dream? His determination to be the best remained with him and was reflected in his training drills, which we will cover in a separate chapter.
Bill's diet in his early days in the spotlight was no different from other bodybuilders - he ate a lot of meat. However, he achieved his last championship at Mr. Universe 1971 as a lacto-ovo vegetarian. We'll explain in more detail later what his limitations were, and what led him to do so.

Why Bill is considered an unforgettable person who literally kick-started this entire industry is because of his wholesome character. He thought it was right for people to communicate with each other, help each other and share information together. At the height of his career, he already had his gyms and found ample time to help other people achieve the best physique possible. He didn't care about his name, he was trying to push bodybuilding further, that was his driving force and that's why he is so well respected. After his most famous victory at Mr. Universe 1971, where he was just trying to prove that even without eating meat you can reach the top, all the spectators in attendance started chanting as one man - "Pearl is King!"

LEGACY - Legacy

1. Food and supplementation

As I mentioned earlier, for most of his career he ate like a classic bodybuilder of the time. His protein intake was in the form of meat, eggs and fish. Grains and vegetables provided his intake of complex carbohydrates. During this time, he won 10 of his 11 titles.

At the age of 35, he worked for North American Rockwell in the space program. There he consulted with astronauts to make sure they were as prepared as possible for space flight. He had blood tests there that didn't go quite as he'd hoped. His levels of uric acid, triglycerides (fats found in the blood) and blood pressure were so high that he was advised to see his GP as soon as possible. As a result, Bill subsequently became a lacto-ovo vegetarian.

Note: Lacto-ovo vegetarians (from Latin: lacto = milk; ovo = egg) = people who do not eat meat, but do eat eggs and dairy products. It is the most common form of vegetarian diet in Europe and Central America.

He eliminated all meat from his diet overnight, yet managed to dominate Mr. Universe at the age of 41. But don't expect him to be some fanatic who tries to lure everyone he meets into a vegetarian cult. His mind is too open for that. It's just that Bill has become so comfortable with the diet that he's never turned away from it, and it's not likely to change in the future. His joint problems also led him to change his diet. He had too much uric acid in his blood. This subsequently built up in his joints, causing pain. After cutting out red meat and offal (especially liver), the pain began to decrease immediately. In his eyes, liver is one of the worst foods you can give your body. With the same conviction, he says that meat is definitely not the secret to success, without which your muscles cannot grow properly.

Bill's diet since then has consisted mainly of eggs, dairy products, protein meat substitutes, fruits and vegetables. Brown rice has become a very popular ingredient for him. Since it contains a lot of fiber, the body expends a lot of calories digesting it. That's why he says you can have it with every meal and lose weight in the process. He advocates a low-fat diet, which can cause nutrient deficiencies, as nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, fish and avocados, for example, have many health benefits. A lot depends on the individuality of each of us, what ratio of macronutrients is best for the body.

2. Training

First, let's look at Bill's training program in its early days, i.e. in the 1950s. Thanks to this training routine, in one year (1953) he dominated 4 competitions - Mr. Southern California, Mr. California, Mr. America and Mr. Universe Amateur. He trained under the legendary Leo Stern, who also helped three other bodybuilders to the Mr. Universe title - Clancy Ross, Earl Clark and Eddie Sylvestre.

For the last 6 weeks before Mr. America 1953, he trained 6 times a week and followed the following regimen:

Workout 1: MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY

• Before the workout, he did a light warm-up with one-armed dumbbells.
• Chin behind Neck - 4 sets of 15 reps
• Swingbell Pullover - 2x10
• Close-Grip Supine Press - 3x10
• One-Arm Rowing - 3x10
• Swingbell Pullover - 1x10
• Incline Lateral Raise - 3x10
• Bent-Arm Lateral Raise - 2x10
• DB Crossover - 2x10
• Seated Military Press - 2x10
• Triceps Kick-Backs - 3x10
• DB Seated Curl and Press - 3x10
• DB Triceps Extension - 3x10
• Sit-Up - 1x300
• Leg-Raise - 1x300

Workout 2: TUESDAY, THURSDAY, SATURDAY

• Dumbell Swing (Warm-Up) - 1x10
• Bent-Over Rowing - 3x10
• Lat Pulldown - 3x10
• Swingbell Pullover - 1x10
• Press behind Neck - 3x10
• Breathing Squat - 1x15
• Straight-Arm Pullover - 1x10
• Breathing Squat - 1x15
• Straight-Arm Pullover - 1x10
• Breathing Squat - 1x10
• Straight-Arm Pullover - 1x10
• Squat (45' angle machine) - 3x10
• Leg-Curl - 3x20
• Leg-Extension - 5x12
• Standing Calf Raise - 3x30
• Seated Calf Raise - 3x30
• Sit-Up - 1x300
• Leg-Raise - 1x300

Sometimes, when he felt tired and couldn't set his mind to these two heavy workouts, he would incorporate a "pump" - a workout with light weights to pump up the body that wouldn't put as much strain on the CNS (central nervous system).

On top of that, he spent 30-60 minutes practicing poses every day to make them feel comfortable and natural.
He trained in a similar style his entire career, while others divided their workouts into muscle areas, Bill still stuck to six full-body workouts a week. He trained hard, but smart, and stuck to what was most comfortable for himself. There's a beautiful message in that, to try, seek and adapt your training to your body.

"Image: Bill Pearl and Arnold at Mr. Universe 1967, source: Youtube Nick's Strength and Power"

Now we'll take a look at the workouts before Bill's victory at Mr. Universe 1967:

Workout 1: MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY

• Alternate Twisting Sit-Up - 1x100
• Incline Leg Tuck - 1x100
• DB Incline Sit-Up - 1x100
• DB Bend to Opposite Foot - 1x100
• Incline Lateral Raise - 4x8
• Close-Grip Chin-Up - 4x8
• Bent-Arm Lateral Raise - 4x8
• Medium-Grip Chin-Up - 4x8
• Decline Lateral Raise - 4x8
• Wide-Grip Chin-Up - 4x8
• Military Press - 4x8
• Weighted Dip - 4x8
• Press behind Neck - 4x8
• BB Incline Biceps Curl - 4x8
• DB Standing Lateral Raise - 4x8
• DB Decline Biceps Curl - 4x8

Workout 2: TUESDAY, THURSDAY, SATURDAY

• Regular Sit-Up - 1x100
• Alternate Leg Raise - 1x100
• DB Side Bend - 1x100
• Lying Leg Crossover - 1x100
• DB Standing Curl - 4x8
• Incline Rear-Deltoid Raise - 4x8
• DB Incline Curl - 4x8
• Lying Rear-Deltoid Raise - 4x8
• Bent-Over Deltoid Cable Raise - 4x8
• Leg Extension - 4x10
• Standing Calf Raise - 5x15
• Hack Squat - 4x8
• Seated Calf Raise - 5x15
• Hamstring Curl - 4x8
• Calf Raise on Leg Press Machine - 5x8

As you may notice, over time he has been doing more sets with fewer reps, but what hasn't changed over the years is his training method, which is six full-body workouts per week.

8 training tips from Bill Pearl

1. Squats

Like other bodybuilders in his era, Bill advocated Breathing Squats, which are more about proper breathing than weight. It's about taking 2-4 deep breaths before each squat and performing the squat with the last breath. Then exhale only in the top position. Repeat like this and gradually add the number of inhales/exhales before each squat.

2. Pullover & Bent Arm Lateral Raise

Here too, I put a lot of weight on proper breathing. According to Bill, the focus should be on inhaling as much as possible during the negative phase (downward movement) and exhaling in the top position. He recommended learning the breathing technique first and then focusing on heavier weights later.

3. Progress

Bill recommended to first feel the exercises properly and prepare the tendons and ligaments for the load. Each subsequent workout try to lift the weight at least 2.5 kg. I'm of the same opinion, which is why in my protocols I include an accumulation phase first, where you need to learn the movement patterns (proper technique) during the slow negative phases, and then only gradually add weight and increase intensity - fewer reps, faster pace.

4. Rest

Sticking to 3-5 minutes of rest between each set to give the muscles enough rest to be able to lift as much weight as possible at full range of motion. This made his workouts last a long time, so he worked out in a sweatshirt and sweatpants to keep his body warm.

5. Nutrition

Eat fresh food at the same time every day. This will yield much better results than eating haphazardly whenever you feel like it. He recommends 50-75 grams of protein with fats or carbohydrates for breakfast. I'd recommend 40g of protein with healthy fats (nuts, avocado, butter, ghee) rather than carbs, which are better supplied to the body later in the day - here it depends on how much subcutaneous fat you have. He advocates 3 meals a day, but if you are unable to take in enough calories during those 3 meals, then 1-2 snacks can be included. According to Bill, you can replenish nutrients by drinking up to 1 liter of milk during exercise. But be careful here. Since dairy products are heavily pasteurized these days, you need to keep in mind that only organic milk that is not pasteurized will benefit your body.

6. Regeneration

Bill was aware of the importance of sleep as part of recovery, so he tried to go to bed at the same time so that his body would get used to a certain routine. He recommended 8-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep. This is unthinkable for most working people, I also can't afford to sleep more than 7 hours a day, so I advocate improving the quality of sleep with certain amino acids that will greatly improve the quality of sleep and thus improve recovery. For this reason, I invented Sleepmag (link HERE) which is formulated to help every person with sleep and so many positive reviews.

7. The training diary

Keep a diary where you write down weights, rest time and other feelings you find important. This is a very important thing to do as part of your improvement so that you are always aware of what weight you trained with last workout and try to lift a little more. I also point this out so that you always try to add weight gradually. It should be taken into consideration that gradual progression is best with maintaining proper technique, rather than banging weights in there without regard to range and proper execution.

8. Mentality

It is important to maintain a positive frame of mind during training. According to Bill, this leads to better results and also makes you a better person. I can attest that setting your mind right for training, being able to focus and switch off from other worries is very beneficial and will force you to perform at your best.

I hope this article has enriched you and if so, you can look forward to another story from the golden era of bodybuilding soon.

If you have a suggestion for who else to focus on in Old School Legacy, let us know in the comments!